IHG positions senior leadership in Asia

Having relocated from IHG’s headquarters in Denham, UK, Vice President of Global Brand Marketing for the InterContinental brand, Simon Scoot will now helm the brand out of Asia in Bangkok, while a newly-appointed Vice President, Food & Beverage, Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) also joins the group’s regional management, driving F&B performance and profitability.

IHG currently has 86 InterContinental hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, making up for more than half of the InterContinental portfolio globally. 83% of the brand’s global pipeline is also spread across the region, with the upscale resorts segment on the rise. Scoot’s relocation ensures he is now as close as possible to the hub of the brand’s growth. Having first joined IHG in 1992 and having had a diverse amount of experience across all functions within the brand’s operations, Scoot will also focus on IHG’s global strategy in the resort segment, whilst steering the InterContinental brand globally out of Asia.

Newly-appointed Phil Broad, also based in Bangkok, becomes Vice President, Food & Beverage, AMEA, a region where F&B makes up approximately 40 per cent of IHG’s revenue. With both food and beverage being crucial to the guest experience in delivering and differentiating each brand, Broad’s goal will be to drive performance and profitability across its portfolio, as well as to develop the organisation’s existing F&B operators and leaders. He will also oversee concept design and development, an area in which he specialises.

Aside from owning and operating his own business in the UK, including the franchise for Outback Steakhouse, Broad’s career has spanned world renowned brands like Starbucks, TGI Fridays, Tesco’s and Pizza Hut. Most recently, Phil was Managing Director of Jumeirah Restaurants, the restaurant division of the Jumeirah Group, where he was tasked with setting up branded concept restaurants for the Group globally, including franchise expansion.

Scoot and Broad will report directly to the region’s Chief Executive Officer, Jan Smits, who leads the wider AMEA region from Singapore.

“Managing a historic, global brand out Asia will enable us to continue elevating the InterContinental brand globally but in a way that is also best suited to the growth opportunities in this region,” said Smits.

“This is not just a first for us, but for the industry and I am confident that Simon’s expertise in luxury travel, operations and brand management will give us a fresh winning edge in the upscale segment. I am equally excited to have Phil on board and am looking forward to the changes he will make in how we develop and conceptualise brand-defining F&B experiences across our region.”

IHG currently has 227 hotels across Asia, Middle East and Africa, with 115 hotels in the pipeline. To add to this, there are 181 hotels in Greater China, with 160 more to come. In AMEA, IHG’s hotel brand portfolio includes InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge, with Hotel Indigo to be introduced in the near future.